APO countries conduct course on standards for organic food industry

MANILA, July 17 — The Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) on Saturday closed a week-long training course on Standards and Certification Systems for Organic Food Production and Processing, which was conducted with the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Product Standards (DA-BAFPS) and the Asian Productivity Organization (APO).

Participants of this training included stakeholders from the agriculture sector of APO-member countries, namely, Cambodia, Republic of China, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Lao PDR, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Although organic food production and processing in many Asian countries have started to emerge as viable commercial ventures, there is still a need to harmonize standards to ensure reliability in organic product labeling and certification along with the need to strengthen public-private sector partnership for a sustainable agriculture in Asia, DAP said.

Experts from Germany, USA, Japan, Taiwan as well as local experts were invited to speak to further enhance the knowledge and understanding of organic agriculture.

Segfredo R. Serrano, undersecretary for Policy, Planning, Research and Development of the Department of Agriculture, DAP president Antonio D. Kalaw Jr., who is also the head of the National Productivity Organization, were among those who addressed the training.

APO-member countries pledge to assist one another in their productivity drives in the spirit of mutual cooperation by sharing knowledge, information, and experience.

APO member countries, at present, include Bangladesh, Cambodia, Republic of China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. (PNA) scs/GJB

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